Villar assures farmers coco levy law will pass early 2015

Sen. Cynthia Villar assured coconut farmers that the bill that will manage the disposition of the P100 billion coco levy fund will be prioritized by the committee and will be passed by the Senate in the first quarter of 2015.

"We are scheduling another committee hearing next month and we will submit the bill for plenary deliberation in January," Villar said.

Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, gave the assurance before the so-called KM71 coconut farmers who marched from Davao City to Manila to push for the establishment of the coco levy trust fund. On Wednesday, the group will march to Malacañang to seek a dialogue with President Noynoy Aquino.

The Nacionalista Party senator said a law that will govern the management of the fund will better serve the interest of the more than 3.5 million coconut farmers in the country than an executive order which could be changed in the event of a change in leadership.

"The coconut farmers who earn only P50 a day are the poorest in our country. The coco levy funds as decided by the Supreme Court, should be spent to improve their condition," Villar said.

Villar authored Senate Bill No. 2126 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act, which seeks to establish a trust fund that will pay for the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan.

The bill mandates the creation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry fund, a trust fund which shall be perpetually maintained for the development of the coconut industry for the ultimate benefit of coconut farmers and farm workers. It shall be used to fund the implementation of programs and projects identified in the plan.

Under the bill, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan will be prepared for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry. It will include, among others, a national program for coconut productivity, replanting, rehabilitation, scientific and medical research, integrated downstream processing, and market promotion.

It will also include local programs that directly benefit small coconut farmers and farm workers, such as medical and health and life insurance services, educational scholarships for deserving students coming from families of coconut farmers, or beneficiaries of the coconut levy funds.###

Villar, tiniyak sa mga magsasaka na maipapasa ang coco levy law sa 2015

Siniguro ni Sen. Cynthia Villar sa coconut farmers na bibigyan ng prayoridad ng kanyang komite ang panukalang batas sa pagbibigay ng P100 billion coco levy fund na maipapasa ng Senado sa first quarter ng 2015.

"We are scheduling another committee hearing next month and we will submit the bill for plenary deliberation in January," ani Villar.

Ang paniniyak ay ginawa ni Villar, chair ng Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, sa harap ng tinatawag na KM71 coconut farmers na nagmartsa patungong Maynila mula sa Davao City.

Layunin ng mga ito na isulong ang pagtatayo ng coco levy trust fund.

Magtutungo ang grupo ngayong Miyerkules sa Malacañang para makipag-usap kay President Noynoy Aquino.

Sinabi pa ng Nacionalista Party senator na higit na mapagsisilbihan ng batas ang interes ng mahigit 3.5 million coconut farmers kumpara sa executive order na maaring mabago sa pagpapalit ng liderato.

"The coconut farmers who earn only P50 a day are the poorest in our country. The coco levy funds as decided by the Supreme Court, should be spent to improve their condition," ani Villar.

Si Villar ang may akda ng Senate Bill No. 2126 o ang Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act para sa pagpapatayo ng trust fund na pambayad sa pagpapatupad ng Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan.

Isinasaad din sa bill na ito ang pagtatatag ng Coconut Farmers and Industry fund.

"This is a trust fund which shall be perpetually maintained for the development of the coconut industry for the ultimate benefit of coconut farmers and farm workers. It shall be used to fund the implementation of programs and projects identified in the plan," pahayag pa ng senador."

Sa ilalim ng bill, magiging handa ang Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan sa pagpapalago at rehabilitasyon ng industriya ng niyog.

Kabilang rito ang isang national program para sa coconut productivity, replanting, rehabilitation, scientific at medical research, integrated downstream processing, at market promotion.

Kasama rin dito ang mga lokal na programa na direktang magbibigay ng pakinabang sa maliliit na coconut farmers at farm workers, gaya ng medical at health at life insurance services, educational scholarships para sa deserving students mula coconut farmers, or beneficiaries ng coconut levy funds.